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A newsletter for the students, faculty and staff of the Collin County Community College District. Published monthly. For information or submissions, call 972.599.3142. Cougar News welcomes student and faculty submissions. Next deadline: January 10. All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on the due date. Photos cannot be returned. Text should be emailed to mrobinson@ccccd.edu or sent on disk. Please submit copy that is proofed, edited and saved in Word format. Cougar News staff: Lisa Vasquez, director; Mark Robinson, editor; Marcy Cadena-Smith, contributor; Stephanie Hall, student correspondent; Adriana Rodriguez, student correspondent; special contributors: Heather Darrow, Sonya Flaming, John Glass; Nick Young, photography and layout.
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Phi Theta Kappa gives back to the community
By Stephanie Hall
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| Phi Theta Kappa student taking part in "Senior Spruce Ups". |
Phi Theta Kappa is synonymous with academic excellence, but it also excels in community service at the college and out in the community. Most recently, members from the Alpha Mu Tau chapter of Phi Theta Kappa participated in two service projects that impacted Collin County citizens in a positive way.
Alpha Mu Tau is Collin County Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter.
During the first project, 33 members of the Alpha Mu Tau chapter participated in Senior Spruce Ups when they visited several senior citizens’ homes within Collin County to help with yard work Oct. 28. The event was in conjunction with Keep Plano Beautiful and the Collin County Committee on Aging.
Alpha Mu Tau was tasked with sprucing up 22 homes. “We mowed lawns, trimmed bushes, tended flowerbeds, and just did housework that the seniors need us to do for them,” said Rachael Carranza, the vice president of service for the chapter. Carranza was in charge of arranging the partnership between Keep Plano Beautiful and Alpha Mu Tau as well as putting together the volunteers from Collin.
The volunteers split up into five groups and were sent as far north as Melissa, Texas, and as far south as Richardson, Texas.
Diana Gonzales, a Phi Theta Kappa member, volunteered for the event because, “we’re giving back to the people because they really need it,” she said.
There was one home her group visited where a “sweet” lady was incredibly appreciative of their assistance. “She needed our help so much,” said Gonzales. “Her yard wasn’t that big but there was a lot to do, a lot more than she could ever have done on her own.” Once all the weeds were pulled and the overgrowth taken away, the owner’s lawn revealed a nice surprise. “Her flowers were beautiful,” said Gonzales.
The overall experience was unique from a lot of the chapter’s other events, said Carranza. “We were able to divide up into smaller groups and get to know each other a lot better than if we had been in larger groups,” she said. “Furthermore, we got to travel to different places and interact with people within the community, and I think that was really unique and different.”
For the second event, a handful of Alpha Mu Tau members had an extraordinary experience when they volunteered throughout the semester with Angel League, an organization that allows special-needs children the opportunity to play sports for the sheer joy of playing.
Carlos Valera, the vice president of scholarship, organized the partnership between the Alpha Mu Tau Chapter and Leslie Thetford-Clack, a fire science/EMS operation specialist at Collin.
Thetford-Clack and other local mothers started Angel League in the fall of 1998. “I started the league because my son wanted to play sports, and he was not capable of playing regular sports at the time,” she said. “He has Pervasive Developmental Disorder.” According to the American Psychiatric Association, Pervasive Developmental Disorders are characterized by severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.
She came to realize that special-needs children are often ostracized in regular competitive sports, so she wanted to create an environment where these children would feel welcomed and accomplished. “They learn motor skills, fine-tune motor skills by doing each sport, and (do) a lot of physical therapy without thinking (they) are doing work,” she said. “They also learn self-esteem and learn to adapt with their disabilities.”
Deanna Thompson, a Phi Theta Kappa member, volunteered for the event. “I was impacted by the sheer friendship and freedom each child possessed,” she said. “In the eye of every child shined a hero when he or she made a goal.”
Thompson said she would most definitely volunteer again because “Angel League not only benefits the children but also the parents,” she said. “The children have the time of their lives as the proud parents cheer worry-free for their little all-star.”
Since its creation, Angel League has grown to include basketball, t-Ball, swimming and soccer, said Thetford-Clack. She does have plans on expanding her program. “One day we would like our own facilities for outdoor sports and indoor sports as well as a daycare for our kids.”
Children like 14-year-old Molly Foster greatly appreciate the opportunity to be on a soccer team, according to her mother Lanelle Womak. “This has been a lot of fun for all of us, and Molly loves being here,” she said. Molly has mild Cerebral Palsy, which affects her learning, speech and walking abilities. When asked if she liked playing soccer, she simply smiled, said “yes” and nodded enthusiastically.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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